Dirk Shafer, Playgirl Centerfold Who Came Out Gay, Dead At 52

By

On Top Magazine Staff

|
March 08, 2015

Model, actor and fitness trainer Dirk
Shafer was found dead in his car on Thursday in West Hollywood. He
was 52.

Law enforcement officials identified
Shafer by his driver's license. Initial
reports indicate that he might have died from a heart attack, but
an autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

The Illinois native documented the
pressure he felt to remain closeted as Playgirl's 1992 Man of
the Year in the 1995 mockumentary Man Of The Year, a
largely fictionalized account which he wrote and starred in.

Shafer
also co-wrote and directed the 2001 cult film Circuit,
which takes a look at the gay circuit party scene. In the same year,
he did a guest stint on the NBC comedy Will & Grace.

In
2012, he returned to Playgirl
to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of his first layout.